“The United States has developed as a global leader, in large part, through the genius and hard work of its scientists, engineers, and innovators. In a world that’s becoming increasingly complex, where success is driven not only by what you know, but by what you can do with what you know, it’s more important than ever for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve tough problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information. These are the types of skills that students learn by studying science, technology, engineering, and math—subjects collectively known as STEM.

Yet today, few American students pursue expertise in STEM fields—and we have an inadequate pipeline of teachers skilled in those subjects. That’s why President Obama has set a priority of increasing the number of students and teachers who are proficient in these vital fields.”1

Camp S.W.A.G.’s S.T.E.M. based programs are those focused on getting youth involved and interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As these fields become more and more prominent and pervasive throughout society, it grows equally important that the youth of the new generation grasp an understanding of their future so that they may hone and direct it.

As a S.T.E.M. based youth organization and educational camp, we attempt to spark this interest by introducing our campers to various aspects of these fields, those often unexplored by school curriculums. Some of these activities and workshops include, but are not limited to:

Building drones

Robotics

Solar science or solar energy engineering

Simple programming techniques for computers and phones

An introduction to forensic science

Basic engineering

Introduction to astronomy

“One of the things that I’ve been focused on as President is how we create an all-hands-on-deck approach to science, technology, engineering, and math… We need to make this a priority to train an army of new teachers in these subject areas, and to make sure that all of us as a country are lifting up these subjects for the respect that they deserve.”

President Barack Obama
Third Annual White House Science Fair, April 2013